THE BEST GIFT EVER PART 3

Former Brebeuf principal and my schoolmate at St. Mike's way back in 1962, Joe Brisbois reminds me that the best gifts ever sometimes comes from those who have the biggest hearts, our young people. He also made me realize that the best gift ever is not necessarily one that you receive but rather one that is given in the spirit of love.

 Here are the two little stories that Joe passed along.

Years ago, I coached a remarkable group of twelve year hockey players. They were given a designated family and tasked with looking after the family's food needs at Christmas time. The players knew the size of the family and how it was composed. When the grocery shopping was done, the coaching staff was very impressed at how the players consulted and agreed as to what each family member would enjoy. The story gets better. The players, of their own direction, suggested buying Christmas gifts for each family member. The consultation with players and family members was great to see as they considered each family member's interests. When the day of shopping was done, the players were so happy and proud as to what they accomplished. The feeling of being proud of the team members was better than any win or championship for the coaches.

The other story involves seven children all receiving the same Christmas gift of twenty-five newly minted silver dollars. It created a great deal of discussion between siblings as to how the coins would be used. Needless to say there were a variety of suggestions that were put forward by each child from toys to sports equipment or starting a coin collection. The benefit of this process was the camaraderie and joy it created. Rather than saying who got the nicest or most costly gift, a sense of calm with genuine sharing took place. A respect for each other was most evident. It was probably not what the parents had expected but I know they were touched by how their children's response to their common gift captured the true meaning of Christmas.